Typographical casting machine



Aug.- 10 1926. 1,595,947

D. s. KENNEDY TYPOGRAEHICAL CASTING MACHINE Filed May 3. 1923 i 2 Sheets-sheet i BY ZATTOR EYS D. s. KENNEDY y z if. 4 A v F YiEi Patented A g. 1 1926 i PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID S. KENNEDY, 0F BROOKLYNiNEVJ YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MERGENTHALER LINC- TYIPE COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEVI YORK.

, i TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE.

Application filed May 3, 1923.

This invention relates to typographical casting machines, such as linotype machines of the general organization represented in U. S. Letters Patent to O. lllergenthaler No. 436,522, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine in the order in which their characters are to appear in print and then composed in line, the composed line transferred to a vertically movable transporter or first elevator which presents it to the mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug or linotype against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter elevated and returned through a distributing mechanism to the magazine from which they started. In these machines, it is necessary at times to vary the vertical position of the first elevator during casting in order to bring about the proper alinement of the matrix characters with the mold slot. For instance, in the use of matrices with characters up to 14: pt, the elevator is ordinarily allowed to descend to its lowermost level, whereas, in the use of matrices with characters ranging from 14 pt. to 42 pt, the elevator is arrested at a slightly higher level. In recent years, improvements have been made to adapt the machine to handle matrices with characters above 4-2 pt. and as high pt., so that it has been necessary in the use of such matrices to arrest the elevator at a still higher level. Heretot'ore. the machine has been equipped with a so-called tiller piece-or stop member which may be thrown into or out of action at will so as to locate the elevator at a higher or lower level, as desired. This stop 1 nnber however, is only useful in providing for two different levels of the first elevator and does not aid in locating it at a third level, as may required.

The present invention contemplates an arrangement whereby the first elevator may be located at will at any one of three dit fer-ent levels; To this end, specifically, the vise frame is provided with two pivoted filler pieces or stop members so constructed and arranged that either may be swung intoor out of operative position as desired. These stop members are of diflerent thickness and hence will arrest the first elevator atdifiier-ent elevations when intercharged in operative position with each other, but when both are out ot' use, the elevator will descend Serial No. 636,287.

to it. lowermost level as deteri'nined by its direct engagen'ient' withthe vise frame. In this way, and simply by manipulating the two stop members, the machine may be adapted to handle matrices of any of the various sizes mentioned. The 0X1,Ct construction and arrangement of the parts will best be understood from the detailed de- Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken through the casting devices and showing one of the stop members in action;

Fig. 4 is a similar-view showing the other stop member in action; and

Fig. 5 illustrates a group of matrices with characters of different size. I

In the drawings, the parts are shown in 'the relative positions they occupy during the casting operation, Fig. 3 illustrating a composed line of 42 pt. headletter or display matrices X in cooperation with a slotted mold A of corresponding size, and Figs. 1 and 4.- illustrating a composed line of 60 pt. headletter or display matrices Z in cooperation with a slotted mold B of corresponding size. These molds A .and B are formed with alining ribs A and B respectively, adapted to be engaged by the lower ears of the cooperating matrices in effecting the proper alinement of the matrix characters with the mold slot. As will be noted, the alining rib B is considerably thinner than the alining rib A due to the fact that the matrix characters are punched with reference to differ-- ent datum lines (see Fig. making it nec essary to present the matrices Z to the mold B at a higher level than that at whichthe matrices X are presented to the mold A, all as more fully explained in my prior Letters Patent No. 1,306,909. The two mold-s are carried by arotary disc or wheel C which is manually adjustable so that either mold may brought into action to the exclusion of the other.

The composed matrix lines are presented to their respective molds by a vertically movable first elevator D which, in descending, positions the lines between the customary locking-up jaws E and E of the vise frame E. As shown, the first elevator D is proveded with two pins or set screws D and D the former acting to limit its descent, and the latter arranged to act upon a so-called vise-automatic F. When the machine is handling matrices of the smaller sizes, say those up to 14 pt., the first elevator is allowed to descend to its lowermost level as determined by the direct engagement of the arresting pin D wit-h the top face of the vise frame E; and as the elevator thus comes to rest, its second pin D engages the protruding end of the vise-automatic F and depresses the same, allowing the machine to operate in the normal way. In this connection, it may be stated that, unless the vise-automatic is so depressed, the main driving clutch of the machine will be automatically disengaged and the operation of the machine immediately arrested. However, in the use of the matrices X, which range from 14 pt. to 42 pt, it is necessary to arrest the first elevator in a slightly raised position so as to efiect the proper alinement of the matrix characters with the mold A. This is accomplished, as heretofore, by means of a stop member or filler piece H pivoted by a pin G to the vise frame E, and provided at its free end with two contact pieces H and H The contact piece H is designed to cooperate with the arresting pin D of the first elevator, while the contact piece H is designed to cooperate with the elevator pin D being hinged to the stop member, as at H so as to transmit the motion of the pin D to the viseautomatic F as the elevator comes to rest, all as well understood in the art.

The present invention provides, in addition to the stop member H, a further stop member J which is employed, when desired, to arrest the first elevator at a still higher elevation for effecting the proper alinement of the matrices Z with the mold B. In the present instance, this second stop member J is arranged directly alongside the stop member H, being mounted to turn about the pivot pin G, which is thus common to the two. The stop member J (like the compan ion member H) is provided at its free end with two contact pieces J and J to cooperate with the elevator pins D and D respectively, but it is pointed out that the thick ness of these contact pieces is somewhat greater than that of the contact pieces H" and H (see Fig. 2) so as to provide for the arrest of the first elevator at the required higher elevation. The contact piece J (unlike the contact piece H which is formed integral with the stop member H) is hinged to the stop member J, as at J, so as to swing laterally or crosswise of the stop member; and the contact piece J which transmits the motion of the elevator pin D to' the vise-automatic F, is also hinged to the stop member as at J although in this instance the axis of the hinge is disposed transversely of the stop member rather than longitudinally thereof, as in the case of the contact piece H As the parts are thus constructed and arranged, it can be seen that either of the stop members may be swung into or out of operative position as desired, the hinging of the contact pieces in the manner described enabling them to be moved out of the way to avoid any interference between the stop members as they pass each other during interchange.

In the foregoing description, the arrest of the first elevator at different levels has been discussed only with relation to headletter or display matrices. However, such arrest of the elevator is also useful in connection with two-letter matrices. Thus, when it is desired to cast a slug from the lower characters of all of the two-letter matrices of a composed-line (as for a solid line of italics), it is common practice to assemble and main tain such matrices, not at the upper level as would otherwise be required, but at the lower level, and then to arrest the first elevator in slightly raised position so as to locate the selected characters opposite the mold slot. Heretofore, the stop member H has been used for such purpose in the case of matrices up to 14: pt, the lower characters of said matrices having the same datum line as the headletter or display characters of the matrices X. By the employment of the second stop member J above describec, it is now possible to follow the same prac tice in connection with two-letter matrices having larger characters, like the matrix Y shown in Fig. 5, whose lower character is punched therein with reference to the same datum line as the hea dletter or display characters of the matrices Z. In using such twoletter matrices Y, a mold similar to the mold B is employed except that the mold slot is made narrower to conform to the smaller characters, and except further that a second mold alining rib is employed to cooperate with the lower ears of the mat rices when the latter are presented to the mold with their upper characters in casting position, see the dotted lin showing in Fig. 4:.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown merely by way of example and in preferred form and as applied to the specific kind of machine mentioned, but obviously many changes and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims. It

is particularly noted that, in the embodiment shown and described, the parts are extremely simple and can be made at small cost and applied to the machine without the slightest diiiiculty or delay, and this without involving any alterations in the standard machine parts. In addition, the arrangement is strong, durable and compact, and such that the stop members may be quickly and easily manipulated to carry out their prescribed functions.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and mode of operation, what I claim is, as follows:

1. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a vertically movable line transporter, and two step members for arresting the transporter at different elevations, the said stop members being adjustable relatively to each other so that either may be located in operative or inoperative position, as desired.

2. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a. vertically movable line transporter, and two stop members for arresting the transporter at different elevations, the said stop members being pivotally mounted independently 01" each other so that either may be swung into or out of operative position, as desired.

3. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a vertically movable line transporter, and two stop members for arresting the transporter at diii'erent elevations, the said stop members being arranged side by side and mounted to turn about a common pivot independently of each other so that either may be swung into or out of operative position, as desired.

a. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a vertically movable line transporter provided with an arresting pin, and two pivoted stop members arranged side by side and having contact pieces to cooperate with said pin, one stop member having its contact piece connected thereto so as to be movable out of the way of the other stop member.

5. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a vertically movable line transporter, an automatic device governing the operation of the machine, and two stop members for arresting the transporter at ditlerent elevations and relatively adjustable so that either may be located in operative or inoperative position, as desired, each of said stop members being provided with a yielding section to act upon the automatic device when in operative position.

6. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a vertically movable line transporter, an automatic device governing the operation of the machine, and two stop members for arresting the transporter at different elevations, the said stop members being pivotally mounted independently of each other so that either may be swung into or out of operative position, as desired, and each provided with a hinged section to act upon the automatic device when in operative position.

7. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a vertically movable line transporter, an'automatic device governing the operation of the machine, a pair of pins carried by the transporter, one to limit its descent and the other to actuate the automatic device, and two pivoted stop members arranged side by side and relatively adjustable and each provided with a pair of contact pieces to cooperate with said pins, one of the stop members having the contact piece for the arresting pin hinged thereto to avoid interference in the relative adjustments of the stop members, and both said members having the contact pieces for the actuating pin hinged thereto, as and for the purpose de scribed.

8. In a linotype machine, the combination of the first elevator D provided with the arresting pin D the vise frame E, the stop member I-I provided with the contact piece H and the second stop member J provided with the hinged contact piece J 9. In a linotype machine, the combination of the first elevator D provided with the arresting pin D and the actuating pin D the vise frame E containing the vise-automatic F, the stop member I-I provided With the contact piece H for the arresting pin D and the hinged contact piece H for the actuating pin D and the second pivoted stop member J provided with the two hinged contact pieces J and J for the two said pins D and D respectively.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature hereto.

DAVID S. KENNEDY. 

